Mikes Kelemen competition for students in the Hungarian language and literature on national stage in Székelyudvarhely (Odorheiu Secuiesc)

This year, the Mikes Kelemen Competition in the Hungarian language and literature was held on the national stage between 14-18 April in Székelyudvarhely.
The County of Bacău was represented by three children, namely: Cîtea Olimpia from Magyarfalu (Arini), Polcovnicu Irina from Külsőrekecsin (Fundu Răcăciuni) and Gertui Nikoletta from Kostelek (Coşnea). Based on their good results achieved at county level in Bacău County, they were given the opportunity to participate in the national competition.
After a long fatiguing journey, we arrived at Székelyudvarhely on 14 April, where we were accommodated in the dormitory of the Kós Károly Industrial Vocational School. The dormitory has been recently renovated and modernised. The children had a very good time and managed to make friends with several fellow students.
The official opening ceremony took place on the following day in the Community Centre and just over 300 students were hardly able to get into it. The porter remarked that “children were sitting even on the chandelier”.
Bondor István, Chief Supervisor of Harghita County, inaugurating the ceremony, warmly addressed the participants arriving at the homeland of Tamási Áron and Orbán Balázs for this intellectual tournament, and underlined that “everybody has come as a winner, because the cream of student population is gathered here, since those having ranked first and second at county level have come to join us”. The welcome speeches were followed by colourful musical dance programme, which brightened up the exhausted children.
The test took place at the Tamási Áron Grammar School on 15 April. The children walked in excitement into the building of the grammar school, established by the Jesuit order. They eyed the building, marvelled at the beauty thereof, and finally took their seats designated for them in the classrooms.
The written test took place between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and our three students made the best use of the time. After lunch, just to relax from the stress, the children went to see the monument of Orbán Balázs, where they got acquainted with the motifs of carved wooden name boards on the grave, as well as counted Szekler gates, visited the Mineral Water Museum and drank from the exquisitely rare mineral water of Szejke. Also, they made themselves familiar with the town.
On Thursday, we went on an excursion to Farkaslaka (Lupeni), the native village of Tamási Áron, where the mayor and local teachers waited for us with a short programme, and in addition to the programme they also ”cared about the stomach” of the little ones, and local women baked cottage cheese pie and “panko” (pancake) for the children. We continued our journey to Szárhegy /Lăzarea) to see the Lázár Castle, where we admired the collection comprising 2,000 pieces of painted Easter eggs and stuffed animals. We arrived at the Szekler Museum of Csík late in the day, where we became imbued with the devastation caused by the Tartar invasion. The children were allowed to dress up as soldiers, to wear coat of mail and protective helmet, to wield a sword, as well as to try out the favourite weapon of the Hungarians, the arrow. We got back to Udvarhely late in the evening, but the day was not yet over. The children went to see the production of the National Dramatic Festival of Students in the Community Centre, performing the Jungle Book – the musical.
The long waited day had come on Friday and the results were announced at 9:00 a.m. We arrived at the competition without high hopes, since the children from Bákó – having familiarised themselves with the profession of penmanship merely a couple of years ago – are unable to be a match for their mates, who have been learning all subjects in the Hungarian language since they were first-graders. But our children were also clever and have done well. Cîtea Olimpia finished 33rd with an average grade of 6, as well as Gertui Nikoletta and Polcovnicu Irina finished 35th and 36th also with an average grade of 6. After lunch, they attended artisan classes and prepared jewelleries.
Prizes were awarded on Saturday in the Community Centre. Our children arrived home not with empty hands: Olimpia and Irina received a prize for sporadic groups of Hungarians, which they shared with Nikoletta.
In the end, we would like to thank Dáné Szilárd, Specialist Supervisor, for his assistance in obtaining information, the dormitory of the Kós Károly Industrial Vocational School for their generous hospitality, the children for having attended special preparatory courses and having sacrificed their vacation for the competition, as well as the Board of Supervisors of Bákó County for financial contribution.
I hope that we will be again offered the opportunity for further clever children to participate next year in the competition to be held in Sepsiszentgyörgy (Sfântu Gheorghe).

 
Csillag Levente – guardian teacher, Külsőrekecsin

 
24 April 2009

Csilla Takács translated the article from a Hungarian language

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